Meet The Team
Meet the minds behind this project. This dedicated team of educators have always been passionate about hands-on experiential learning.
Our Stories
Meet Laura
Hi! I’m Laura Greene. I’m a wife, mother, teacher and business owner. I’m a proud native to our rural community and am passionate about growing lifelong learners who have a deep connection to their environment. My husband and I own Wood Pallet Treasures where we pride in creating beautiful, functional, and practical items out of reclaimed wood. We are advocates for hands on learning and embedding life skills in educational programs. I have 18 years of teaching experience with a K-8 teaching license and an environmental education certificate. I’ve been trained in Project Learning Tree and Project Wild and hold a MAEd degree and a school administration license. I can’t even explain how excited I am to start our third year of Project Wild Rooted. We took an idea and turned it into a reality! Let’s Get Rooted!
Meet Michelle
Hi! I’m Michelle Wille. I’m a born and raised country girl who fell in love with a farmer. Our family takes pride in our agricultural practices for the last 24 years at our Wille Farms. I am also a mom and a teacher within my small rural community. I have 20 years of teaching experience holding a 5-8 general science license, 9-12 Life Science license, and a M.A. in Teaching. I want to provide kids the opportunity to embrace the beauty and wonder of the natural world around them with hopes of promoting environmental stewardship and whole-body learning experiences. Having two years under our belt has given us just a taste of how meaningful this program is to our community. I am excited to continue with this journey as we join parents in keeping our youth rooted!
Meet Jackie
Hi! I’m Jackie! I have been a preschool teacher for 16 years now. I have an Elementary K-6 teaching license, but my heart is with the littles in preschool. I have watched Project Wild Rooted from the beginning of its introduction to these exploration camps and I am so excited to join this fabulous team of Project Wild Rooted teachers. Spending my days with preschool age kiddos again and giving them opportunities for hands-on learning, exploration of the outdoors, and helping them build skills you wouldn’t see in a normal classroom is a dream come true. I am most excited about seeing our youngest learners excitement and smiles as they are exploring all of these different natural opportunities. I am excited to watch our youngest learner’s use their curious minds and gain the confidence that they can do something. I am also excited to see our youngest learners build friendships, team work, and hands-on self-help skills that will help them in their future educational journeys.
Starting Fall 2023
Meet Renelle
Hi! I’m Renelle Boyd. I have worked with children for over 20 years, most of the years with preschool age children. Whom I adore! I have a B.A. in Elementary Education and a current teaching license. Previously I taught preschool at Scandia, was a paraprofessional for the Forest Lake School District, a teacher for 11 years at Sunshine Preschool, and taught at a nature-based preschool in Lino Lakes. Currently I am a preschool teacher for the Chisago Lakes School District going on 5 years. have been married to Bill for over 30 years. We’ve raised 3 wonderful adult children in the Scandia area, two daughters and a son. I am excited to be a part of this creative hands on nature-based learning environment. I look forward to helping little ones foster a love of learning while guiding them through fun natural exploration. I’m excited to work along such amazing teachers and to have animals in our outdoor classroom! I’m ready for fun and getting my hands dirty.
Meet Kim
Hi! I’m Kim Hofmann. I have 35 years of teaching experience in classroom settings and am very excited to incorporate some Spanish into our Little Wild Roots programs! I just retired but I knew I still wanted to work in some capacity. Becoming a grandma has made me fall in love with littles and seeing them learn, grow, and change is so heartwarming. I have been with my partner, Norm Thoreen, for 17 years. I have 3 kids and 3 grandchildren who are the light of my life! During my free time, I love gardening, boating on our lake, reading, cooking, and enjoying my family and friends. I love getting together with my longtime friends for girls weekends too! I am excited about seeing learner's excitement as they are exploring all of these opportunities. I am looking forward to embedding some Spanish speaking into our Little Wild Roots Programs and help nurture young minds through hands on experiences. I cannot wait to build beautiful relationships with the students and families.